Ritalin & caffeine , are they safe together ?

I usually take Ritalin la a few times a week , it helps me concentrate during the day and keep me active. a few days ago I took one capsule and drank two coffee cups , in five minutes it made me feel really uncomfortable. I was really agitated and it took me something like six hours to relax. Know anything about this ?

9 Answers

They are both stimulants so that would be the reaction you'd have to an overdose of stimulants. I wouldn't call them safe, but I'm sure some people can have them together safely without side effects. Since it agitated you, I would suggest that you not do that.

i dont take RITALIN ..but i am prescribed adderal xr..also an add medication. during school i would drink about 2 cups of coffeee..as well...the caffeine is a central nervous system..and mixed with the adderall..caused me to be tense.., anxious, and nervous. its a bad combination..if you do have coffee try to have it at least 4 5 hours after you take your medication...no serious sidwe effects can come of it..but its just uncomfortable..

dont combine them. Well for me at least I had a double shot espresso with 10mg of ritalin and I 1) got diarrhea, 2) got extremely dizzy 3) became anxious 4) could not sit still without the earth turning upside down 4) felt like a weight was pressing down on top of my head, 5) got a clenching feeling in my throat. I had to drink 2 bottles of water and pace around my house until I was ok. I called my parents and tried to call my Md but she wouldn't answer. I called my best freind and she taught me a breathing technique. I ate some bread to ease the nausea- but my point is if I didnt have the support or the common sense to help myself, I would have passed out and nobody was there so they would have found me passed out hours later when I really should be in the ER. Dont do it. If you are active and you do have Add, drink lightly caffeinated teas(preferably green) or decaf. BUT NO COFFEE w/ritalin! bad idea-u are stimulating 2 parts of your brain, including the central nervous system. dont do it-and keep some herbal( chamomile/peppermint) tea around as well as some bread or crackers for your tum tum

They are both CNS stimulants and are not recommended to be taken together. One can have an addative effect on the other increasing the effects of both drugs. Some reports have shown no negative effects of both. I've found that a little caffeine actually aids in my concentration while on methylphenidate.

Thats good that it helps you, Penguin, but it can be very easy to transgress someone's stimulation level when on both drugs. For some, the combination can work wonders for the mood and focus. But it is critical to realize that the caffeine in coffee is stronger than any type of tea or soft drink. Also, methylphenidate and caffeine form a double bond and can become addictive, especially with slow release. Withdrawal symptoms could range from depression to migraine headaches and such. Just be careful, and know your body

Um, folks, hasn't anyone noticed that drugs are always prescribed with a specific DOSAGE? I hate to break this to you all, but this might not be a yes/no question, it might require actually thinking in terms of quantities, which might require mentioning NUMBERS. Did anyone else notice that the original poster mentioned having TWO cups of coffee with a dose of ritalin of unspecified amount? I got on here because I just started taking ritalin three days ago and I normally drink a big, strong mug of black tea in the morning.

I'm 47, male, weigh around 190 lbs. Here's my experience:

Day 1: 5 mg ritalin right after breakfast and tea: felt hyper but good

Day 2: 5 mg ritalin on rising (empty stomach), NO caffeine: felt fully awake quickly, but not "hyper" as in day 1, breakfast 1 hour after ritalin - no big change in feeling

Day 3: 5 mg ritalin on rising (empty stomach), felt similar to day 2, one hour after ritalin had breakfast followed by tea, felt more stimulated than day 1, but coming down.

What I'm taking from my experience and the posts above: pay attention to my own experience combining ritalin and caffeine, noting the size and timing of both the ritalin dose and the caffeine dose (ie specific beverage, source and quantity) and avoid combined doses that make me feel bad, don't exceed doses that have left me feeling almost too "speedy".

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If I can tell you to quit the choc. and most of the soft drinks and you wouldnt get these headaches then I would but more than likely you probably wont. They do have medicine that your doctor can give you for the headache (sounds like migraines) but my guess is he will tell you to stay away from ...

I lost 30 pounds in 2 months. I started at 40 mg per day, now at 80 mg per day. It is a lot cheaper with a prescription. without insurance, I am paying $90 for 120 Generic Ritalin SR tablets 20 mg (time released).

caffeine has been associated with negative effects on blood pressure . This can be a considerable reason why caffene should be at least regulated. However doctors do not fully agree on the overall effects of caffeine on high blood pressure.